Beyond Control
by bethpandas
Summary: Rose Weasley is starting her sixth year at Hogwarts, knowing nothing about the mysterious Scorpius Malfoy and what adventures and dangers are right around the corner.
1. Back to Hogwarts

**Hey guys! This is my first fanfic so feel free to let me know of any improvements I can make- I really love constructive criticism. Also, if you have any ideas about where you think the story should go or just anything you think I should include then please tell me and I will credit you if I use it.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

**ROSE POV**

"Hugo, what are you doing? You've been in there for like half an hour!" I yelled as I banged my fist on the bathroom door.

"There's another bathroom in the house, Rose." He calls nonchalantly.

"I _need_ my toothbrush." I huffed in irritation at the closed door.

This morning was the one time I didn't get to the bathroom first- today of all days! It being the first day of my sixth year means I have to look presentable and my idiot brother was not making it any easier.

By this point, my head was leant against the door and Hugo chose this moment to yank it open. I face planted the floor, which caused him great amusement. However, this was short lived since he stepped over me and continued down the corridor towards the landfill he called his room.

I groaned and picked myself up from the cold floor in search of my toothbrush.

Eventually, we got to King's Cross Station, Hugo and I said goodbye to our parents and boarded the train.

Hugo had gotten a lot taller than me over the summer; he now towered over my small frame due to puberty finally kicking in. Even though I was a year older, he acted as if he was my big brother, which was annoying sometimes as he thought he knew better than me in certain situations. However, I always seemed to have the upper hand in arguments, you can blame my mother for that. You could say we were pretty close too; I knew he always had my back and I had his. We're unlike most siblings in that sense. We also have this weird telepathy- we always know what each other is thinking. Our bickering and banter was the best and I guess I couldn't ask for a better brother. Except from the fact that his feet stank.

The second I stepped off the train, I could smell the crisp, after-rain air and the familiar bellow of Hagrid's voice as he signalled for the first years. My cousins toppled out behind me and we began to walk up the platform to the carriages. It felt amazing to have my wand in my hand and the allowance to be able to finally use it after six agonising weeks. The memorable touch of ivy wood and buzz of dragon heartstring made it difficult to contain my excitement and anticipation for the year to come.

On the way, Albus spotted Scorpius Malfoy- they were close friends who had only stumbled across each other once upon a time since they were both sorted into Slytherin. They were wary of one another at first because of old prejudices and such but ended up quite accustomed to spending time together. Albus waved and shouted out to him; to this he received a similar gesture back. I suppose I always thought Malfoy to be decent looking. Although, previously I hadn't made a habit of trying to get to know him, the fact that his toned arms stretched against the fabric of his white shirt as he waved sparked my curiosity. I had always known him from a distance, always through Albus, never through actual communication.

Malfoy ran over and chucked his arm around Al's neck, trapping him in a playful yet violent embrace. Shouts of annoyance and objection came from Albus below as he kicked and shoved Malfoy off, both laughing the while time, glad to see each other after the long summer. I rolled my eyes along with every other member of the Weasley-Potter clan and continued walking.

"I never quite understood their relationship." James caught up to me. "I mean, with all the stories our parents told us about his dad." He said with concern. I knew which stories he was talking about and they weren't the most pleasant.

For some reason this gave me an epiphany that their friendship was probably one the most genuine types as they managed to become closer even when the weight of old discriminations were apparent. Though, that weight probably no longer exists in their world.

"I guess that's why it works- they look past all the old prejudices." I shrugged but noticed how I sounded very philosophical when I said this. Being a logical person I had never really believed in any of the crap old warlocks and philosophers said. I never sounded philosophical, I just wasn't the kind of person, so, frankly, my phrasing was not only surprising to me but to James also. He looked at me funnily, his dark hair flopping over his glasses.

"Hey, Rose!" I heard my name, which broke me from my thoughts and I whirled around to see Alexandra Wood. The first thing I spotted was that her brown hair had grown out near the front and now flailed out all over the place and shaded her eyes, until she pushed it back carelessly from her face as she stumbled towards me through the numerous amounts of excited Hogwarts students.

"Alex!" I called in return, extremely happy to see my best friend after all these months (I suppose I can't criticise Malfoy and Al any longer).

She pulled me into a tight hug, while jumping up and down with excitement.

"I have to pee!" She cried. Okay, it wasn't excitement that was causing the jumping. This made me outright laugh as I had forgotten how blatant she could be even towards other people. I dragged Alex up to the carriages through the gradually dimming light of day and climbed up the few steps to sit on the black leather bench. Up here I could feel the cool autumn breeze as the carriage was pulled along by who knows what. I was tossed left and right in my seat so all I knew was that they weren't at all steady in their gaits.

Alex was persistent. "I'm going to piss my pants." She squirmed and looked extremely uncomfortable with her legs crossed over each other tightly.

"That'll be a memorable start to sixth year." I laughed.

"Hey, Alex, it helps if you press your stomach!" Shouted Albus from down the carriage.

The snide comments continued. "Aguamenti." Malfoy attempted to disguise this with a cough, to which he earned unamused faces from Alex and I.

Her call of nature was making her crabby. "You should control your cousin." She says quietly but sternly.

"You should control your bladder." I retorted. Alex ignored me.

"And while you're at it control his best friend too."

"I barely know him." I protested.

Alex scoffed unattractively.

The carriage was filled with consistent chatter the whole way to the castle entrance, with jokes from Al and sarcastic remarks from Malfoy, it felt like we had never left Hogwarts in July and my eye rolling muscles were sore already. Alex and I caught up on Holiday gossip and she proudly showed off her tan lines from being in the scorching Spanish sun for two weeks. Unfortunately, my family and I didn't have a chance to travel anywhere. However, the amount of 'family bonding' we endured was enough to occupy most of my time this past summer and mum did teach me a thing or two about a certain hex that I couldn't wait to try out. Let's just say anyone who crosses the line with me is going to get a surprise.

The carriage then came to a jolting holt and each of us stumbled down the rungs whilst the bright candles of Hogwarts blazed in the windows overhead. I looked up in awe and felt a comforting chill down my spine- I was home.

The Great Hall was filled with students by the time we gathered at our respected tables. As I sat next to Alex on the Gryffindor table, a first year was being sorted into Ravenclaw, which caused a giant applause from the crowd of blue and black in the middle of the hall.

We patiently sat through Professor McGonagall's start of term speech and clapped when a new student got sorted in Gryffindor but in actual fact each of us desperately wanted to go to the common room to chill out and absorb the newfound gossip for this years rumour mill but not before that did we have to stuff ourselves full with the to-die-for food that would bloom from the tables in just a few minutes.

Eventually, McGonagall concluded and as we ate, James spoke up, "Did you guys hear about who the new captain for the Gryffindor Quidditch team is?" He said implicatively from the right of me.

"Oh, yeah. I heard he's the biggest prick on the planet." Hugo shouted from way down the table, still he managed to project his insult over the hum of students' chatter.

James stood up but despite his 'mad' Quidditch skills, he still didn't manage to target the slice of bread right at Hugo's face, which is where I'm guessing he was aiming, but only succeeded in it flying in his general direction and the whole section of the table breaking out in spurts of laughter.

"You really need to work on your aim." I observed, giving him a patronising look. He shot me a sarcastic smile and slumped back in his seat.

Miranda, a curly blond, bubbly Gryffindor, leaned in. "I also hear Malfoy is captain for the Slytherin team. Looks like you have some competition." She said from opposite Alex as if it was a prized piece of information. I suppose Quidditch was one of the most competitive things about Hogwarts and having the two most aggressive teammates as captains was surely going to end badly for this year's tournament.

"Just like always." Alex shrugged, her hair almost falling into her food, though there was a trace of worry in her eyes.

Why were girls (and the odd male) so obsessed with this guy? What was so special about him that made them all fall head over heels for him and still manage to retain their dignity and not feel bad about it afterwards? All females accept Alex and I of course, and anyone who had decent expectations.

I rolled my eyes, as I knew this question could never be answered- pretentious girls were always attracted to self-obsessed guys.

Just as students were about to leave the Hall, McGonagall propelled her voice all over the hall, "May I remind students that there will be no one out of their dormitories after curfew. Students who choose to be disobedient will face consequences." Her tone was stern and made me feel uneasy. My feelings of anxiety were replicated throughout the crowd as chatter rippled amongst the students.

"Someone got cranky over the summer." Hugo whispered. I couldn't agree more with this statement. Although, McGonagall was strict, she never gave a punishment without good reason and this seemed a little too harsh. I guess, she thinks first years are getting more and more out of order so she's trying a new technique. That seems reasonable, right?

I always thought that walking through the castle was like walking through abandoned ruins in a fairy tale. The way the paintings came to life gave me the creeps but I still had a lingering fascination with the place. I had known about magic my whole life so I couldn't help but wonder what muggleborn students may have thought on their first day.

The houses filtered off until the Gryffindors alone gradually made it up to the seventh floor. We piled into the common room, where the smell of burning wood and parchment filed the air making me drowsier by the minute. The house colours were warm and comforting, adding to the overall atmosphere.

As I took in the familiar surroundings, I spotted a lengthy sign on the stonewall, the parchment was crisp and clean as if it had only recently been placed there. The handwriting became more and more legible as I approached the sign. It read:

_"If you are seventeen years of age, or will turn seventeen on or before the 31st of August next, you are eligible for a twelve-week course of Apparition Lessons from a __Ministry of Magic__ Apparition instructor. Please sign below if you would like to participate. Cost 12 __Galleons__._"

Only a month away and I would be able to apparate, presuming I passed on the first try, of course, but having a license meant freedom and freedom meant no parents! I mean, I love my parents and all but what makes sense about me staying with them anymore than necessary?

I had never really spoken to them about my future, mostly because they expected a lot of me and rightly so since they were already on the way to defeating the dark wizard Voldemort at my age. However, I didn't want to be an Auror, a healer or even a member of the Ministry, I wanted to be a professional Quidditch player and somehow I thought that this would be a disappointment to my parents as I was academically outstanding and I wanted to throw all of that away to join an international Quidditch team. I was on the Gryffindor team at the moment, so if I got in enough practice then maybe one day I could achieve this.

So there you have it, my life plan.

Finally, Alex and I took the stairs to the girls' dormitory to the familiar four-poster beds to find that our trunks were already waiting for us beneath each one. Alex collapsed on her bed and sprawled out over the covers like a cat. First days were always tiring and I could feel the drowsiness crawling over my skin.

I pulled my pyjamas out from my trunk worrying that I had forgotten something crucial. An odd chime sounded across the room and I scanned the underneath of my bed to see a small object reflecting the eerie light of the moon, contrasting with the darkness around it. Dumping my clothes on the covers, I bent my body so that I could reach the peculiar item, stretched my arm and grasped the object. I examined it and saw that it was a gold ring. But it was a gold ring with an unusual inscription on the inside, which extended out and joined to an emerald stone that was spiralled with gold leaves at the base. The lettering of the inscription was unfamiliar to me but nevertheless; it still gave me an unnerving prickle in my stomach.

I wondered if it was one of my dorm mates' rings that had oddly found itself into my trunk within the last few minutes.

"Hey, is this any of yours?" I held the ring up clearly but each of the girls shook their heads and few yawned. If it wasn't anyone else's then how could it have ended up in my trunk? Had my parents sneaked it in there while I wasn't looking?

"It looks tacky." Alex observed from the bedpost and leaned over to get a better view. I strained my arm and put it in her hand.

"Whose do you think it is?" I wondered aloud, I often did this with my best friend but most of the time I was unable to help it so it became a habit. However, I failed to notice that the ring hadn't so much as touched her hand before it pinged across the bed and mutely landed on my pillowcase. Alex had cried out as if it had burned her. We stared at the ring.

"What just happened?" I asked slowly, the question was likely to be rhetorical, as neither of us had, in fact, any idea of what had just occurred. Though, Alex snapped out of it pretty quickly.

She grumbled, "It's probably some idiot first years trying to play a trick on us." Tiredness crept back into her voice as she plodded back to her own bed one over from mine. "Just go to sleep." She almost pleaded.

I could touch it but Alex got burned. I went over this in my head. What were the chances that a group of pesky first years would pull a prank on the first day back? Very likely indeed. And the fact that it was at my expense, me being wizard famous at birth for having the most well-known parents alive, would make sense for it has happened many times in the past. So, I carelessly tossed the ring back into my trunk and kicked it under the bed before putting the thought to rest along with my sleepy body, changed into my pyjamas and slept.

* * *

**Thank you! Please follow, favourite and review! I will be a lot more active if you do, no pressure. Also, let me know what you think of my OCs (Alex and Miranda), I'll be doing a lot more with them in the chapters to come x**

**3**


	2. Potions Partners

**Chapter 2 is here! I hope people are liking where the story is going but for now, most things are just introductory and it will kick off properly within the next few chapters x**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter**

* * *

"Okay, students! Today we will be brewing Ammortentia! A new start to the year equals more new and exciting potions for you kids to enjoy!"

There was an audible groan as Professor Slughorn's voice pierced the early morning with a forceful stab. This allowed the Gryffindor and Slytherin potions students to reminisce about more exhilarating moments from the summer holiday, then realising that yet another excruciating sixteen weeks of school were left until Christmas. Yes, just the average class of sixth years dreaming of being anywhere but this dire potions classroom.

"Now, I'm going to put you all into pairs and you will be working together in these groups for the rest of the year." His voice demanded.

Alex. Alex, Alex. Please, let my partner be Alex; potions would be a blast. Unfortunately, my luck was non-existent and since I'm a 16-year-old witch with nothing on her side except her mother's intelligence that I was now forced to live up to, it probably never will be.

Slughorn read through the names. "Rose, you will be paired with Scorpius!" He called then continued to read out basic instructions and information about the potion brewing. There was no worse combination.

Malfoy had slipped into the seat next to mine and tossed his textbook onto the desk we now shared. He tilted the chair back and lazily put his hands behind his head.

Well, this would certainly be an exciting development. I had two guesses; he would either be tolerant of me on the account that his best friend was also best friends with me, or he would be a complete idiot and disregard the fact that he would possibly lose his best friend because of it. The latter, I wouldn't be surprised for him to carry out.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Let the brewing commence!" Slughorn insisted.

We would be making Ammortentia, something that I was surprisingly familiar with. It was the strongest Love Potion in existence. It caused a powerful infatuation in the drinker and had a different aroma for everyone who smelt it. It also happened to be one of the most dangerous potions in the room so I can't imagine why we'd be making it in our first potions class of the year.

There was a thud as the legs of Malfoy's chair hit the ground next to me. "So, did your friend make it to the bathroom yesterday?" He seemed nonchalant; I had high hopes for the toleration option.

"Just about." I said, keeping the bitterness out of my voice, I decided to cooperate and make this easier for the both of us; after all, we're partners now and who knows how long this Slughorn project is going to last.

He sat there with his head over the potions textbook, casually looking for the correct page as if class wasn't going to end within the hour and we weren't on a deadline. I decided to make conversation.

"I hear you're the new captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team." I made sure to make it sound like a challenge; I didn't want him to think that I was a pushover.

"Scared?" He chuckled, full to the brim with arrogance.

"No." I really wasn't. Slytherin were over-confident and reckless, which always ended badly so since my team had the upper hand, I had absolutely no reason to be afraid.

"You should be." He sounded nonchalant but I bet he was quivering like a lost puppy inside.

This irked me. "And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" I pressed.

He sat up in his chair. "It means Gryffindor shouldn't be so self-assured this year." He had that same smug, supercilious tone that just evoked my annoyance even further.

"Is that a challenge?" I remained calm, as I knew that James, the Gryffindor captain had a surplus of tricks up his sleeve. We would beat Slytherin in the upcoming match undoubtedly.

"Yes." He said firmly. "And we need to brew this damn Ammortentia." He had a point.

I added ingredients while Malfoy stirred accordingly. Carefully dropping in rose thorns and previously powdered moonstone. I was beginning to settle into the routine of things when Malfoy's eyes widened at something behind me and then he said, "Oh, shit."

And then the whole room exploded. Well, not all of it but all of it in Al's general direction. Black smoke bubbled out around his cauldron, shooting sparks and glimmers of colour around the classroom. Slughorn was shouting out protests and flailing across the room as if it was the world's end.

The smolder cleared a little and revealed Al's black face; his hair charred with dark embers and stuck up at all angles. Even the windows had fogged over and the air began to reek of burnt wood. He never was skilled at potions.

In spite of everything, a laugh fizzed up inside me and came out in a loud burst. I realized that Malfoy was laughing right along with me. By now, the students in the class were all staring at Al's destroyed worktop and deadpan face, astounded that something like this could happen on the first day of lessons. However, this increased the hilarity of the situation.

"Looks like you really blew it this time, Al." I said in between surges of giggles.

Malfoy joined in. "Yeah, but it looks like you gave that love potion a real spark." This made me laugh even harder.

Al stood next to his now simmering cauldron with an expression that was the epitome of hatred and humiliation. I desperately tried to stay serious but the urge of laughter tugged at my stomach until I couldn't keep it contained any longer and I erupted into laughter once more. If I wasn't his cousin or best friend then I would probably be petrified for my own life about now due to the murderous glare he was aiming at Malfoy and I. Whereas, this was half the reason for all of the amusement.

Both of us managed to control our laughing as we looked around at the unamused faces of the class and in particular, Professor Slughorn, who did not look very pleased at all.

By the end of the class, Al and his partner had managed to brew another Ammortentia with results not as disastrous as the previous, I am sad to say. However, it turns out that Malfoy and I scored top in the class; our Ammortentia was irritatingly perfect.

* * *

I was sat in the library that evening and I couldn't get that damn ring out of my mind. I was filling my head to the brim with more and more questions the further I thought about it. How did it get into my suitcase? Why did it burn Alex? As well as one of the worries with a particular amount of mystery tugging at my brain, why did it _not_ burn me? There was still the possibility that a group of idiotic first years could have done it but even then I would have spotted at least one of them giggling in the hallway as I passed.

If only I knew where the ring was from or who it belonged to. I could go to the dorms and take it back with me to library and research it. But I knew Alex would be there and question my motives, she had probably already noticed this ring was bothering me and stop me from researching any further as I would get more and more distracted by it. However, I couldn't see the drawback of simply finding out where it was from and what kind of magic it had, if any.

I decided not to retrieve the ring that night as it would cause too much of a sir with Alex and got up to leave. The library was like a sanctuary to me and I always came here to think and relax because I knew no sociable person would ever sit in here on an evening when they could easily be having more fun elsewhere. I hated to be clichéd but I never felt alone when I was surrounded by books or engrossed in a story that I was reading, it was like the author understood me. Just like now when I could feel the familiar buzz of the stories and lessons I had not yet learnt and could smell the old woody scent of book spines and creased parchment pages. However, the light in the room was now fading and I knew it was time to leave.

I clicked the rusty door shut behind me and strolled through the echoed corridor in route of the common room. I found the castle rather eerie at night but the comfort of knowing there was no place safer made a great deal of a difference.

The snapping of shoes against the stone floor made its way into the forefront of my mind and I shot my head up in the direction of the noise because even though it wasn't peculiar that someone would be walking around the castle at this time, it still wasn't as if a student would have enough time to study in the library for a reasonable amount of time.

The mysterious form was Hugo, approaching me.As he came closer, the creases in his forehead and worry in his eyes became more apparent.

"Hey, are you okay?" I wondered.

"No." He scanned the corridor with anxiety. "I have to tell you something." Tugging me by the wrist from where I stood, I almost fell forward. He pulled me through the castle until we reached the stairs up to the seventh floor. I drew my hand from his grip and demanded to know what was going on.

He sighed and looked around for any passersby, there were none, he was just being paranoid as usual. "I have to tell someone or else I'm to going to explode." He did seem pretty stressed out to be honest, so I let him continue.

"I overheard a conversation between mum and dad a few weeks ago and-"

"You were eavesdropping." I cut him off.

He sighed impatiently. "Rose. They were talking about some newfound dark magic and that the ministry are taking extra care with protection spells…because they think someone wants to avenge Lord Voldemort." He managed to force out.

I absorbed the information quickly. Why would someone want to avenge _Voldemort_? I thought his most loyal followers were dead or at least that was what my parents told us. Was there a chance that more deatheaters could be plotting against the ministry? Although, the ministry contains the most experienced Aurors, including my parents and Uncle Harry, the thought still scared me. I sighed.

"Hugo, it'll be fine. I mean the ministry goes through this kind of thing all the time, right? Wizards and witches thinking they can just overthrow them." I was partially trying to reassure myself.

"Well then, why was mum in hysterics and saying over and over that it was 'happening again'?" He questioned irritably.

I realized how bad it was, or at least how bad it _could_ be. "Shit."

"So what do we do?" Hugo seemed to breathe more steadily now but this was something the ministry had to handle, not us ignorant Hogwarts students.

"Nothing. It's beyond us and if there really was something wrong then mum and dad would tell us." I trusted my parents and knew that they would always put Hugo and I first in any situation. However, it appeared that Hugo wasn't listening; he was looking to the floor, probably thinking up some kind of protection plan for when this mysterious group of deatheaters attacked Hogwarts. Ridiculous really, with all the protection spells over the castle, to be thinking such things. However, I knew the house trait of loyalty particularly stuck out in Hugo.

A wondering Gryffindor walked past us towards the staircase, which made Hugo break from his stupor and shake his head, turning back to me.

"You're right." He finally gave in and we called it a night.

We followed the stairs up to the seventh floor, gave the password to the fat lady and entered the common room where various Gryffindors sat. Some barely awake, some playing chess or reading about Quidditch with the blazing fire the only source of light in the room.

"I hear you and Malfoy are potions partners." Hugo said as we strolled past the worn red sofa, occupied by two snuggled up Gryffindors. I was in awe for a second at the fact that they looked so comfortable and peaceful wrapped up in each other's arms. I wondered what it would be like to be in a relationship like that. I would never admit this but I had a strange longing for a relationship that was more than just platonic.

"Ugh. How did you hear about that?" I grumbled. A whole three hours of Malfoy a week was more than enough for me, I didn't want to be talking about him during any of my treasured time away from him.

"Practically the whole castle knows. Just be careful with him, okay? It's bad enough that Albus is friends with him." I knew Hugo was bitter, and if not at least wary, about Malfoy. Frankly, I believed in giving one a chance, despite what my parents may say about his family.

I scoffed. "He can't be _that_ bad. And anyway, it's not like we're bosom buddies." I tried to lighten the mood.

"Let's hope not." He grimaced by means of goodbye and climbed the staircase up to the boys' dorms. I rolled my eyes and ascended the stairs opposite.

* * *

I couldn't sleep that night. I kept dreaming about figures in black capes and masks of silver, shooting green sparks from their twisted up wands. There was also screaming, I didn't know who it was but I felt helpless against a force that had possessed me all of sudden and I couldn't move a limb.

The next few nights the dream was the same; the dark figures coming from nowhere and wrecking havoc all over the scene. The same person screaming and calling my name, yet I couldn't respond. The only thing different was that this time, fires blazed up around the battle and burned down the building. Then everything was black.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Review, follow and favourite if you please x**


	3. Quidditch

**Sorry it's a day late, this one is longer though! I have a really good idea of where this is going so keep reading and I hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own HP**

* * *

A week later I was beginning to feel the affects that lack of Quidditch playing brought me. The tournament was starting in a few weeks and today was Gryffindor's first practice with James as captain. Before he was recruited, Matt Finnegan had been captain for three years; he was a great leader, although he tended to get caught up in the competition and became pretty arrogant and obnoxious at times. The team was forced to be on the receiving end of this. I was just hoping James would go easier on us as I have never known a more conscientious team. I suppose you could blame that on our second-nature competitiveness.

Being forced awake at six o'clock in the morning was not my idea of a good Saturday, especially when I knew James would not go easy on us, despite anything I hoped. He would want to make a good first impression, which meant endless amounts of drills and exercises before we were even allowed to touch a broomstick. James was so bloody enthusiastic; he even went through some of his new methods with me that summer.

Golden brown leaves crunched under my boots as Alex and I strolled down to the Quidditch pitch, while the rest of the castle slept. The air had a slight chill to it that was brought along with the autumn season, my favourite time of year. This month, on the eleventh to be precise, also happened to be my birthday.

"Remind me why I joined the Quidditch team, again?" Alex yawned.

"Because you love beating the shit out of Slytherin every year?" I smiled.

"True." She considered. "But I still don't see the benefit of getting up at six on a Saturday morning." Moaning was one of her favourite things to do.

"Apparently, James does." I couldn't help sighing at James' typical behaviour.

We entered the changing rooms and dumped our spare clothes in the lockers, carrying our broomsticks and sporting Quidditch uniforms, we waited on the pitch for the rest of the team. Of course, James was there already.

The team started with stretching then proceeded onto simple running and throwing exercises. It was half way through the practice and we had only just got onto our broomsticks. I loved the familiar feeling of my Firebolt in my hands. I could feel its fervent buzz between my fingertips as it longed to be back in the air, just like I did. Although, I adored my Firebolt, I had been saving up money since fourth year to eventually buy a Thunderbolt VII- they say it sacrificed safety for speed.

While I had been marvelling at my broom, Alex was already whizzing up and down the pitch, almost taking my head off as she flew passed me. Out of all the players on our team, I'd say she was the most reckless. Frequently was an understatement for the amount of times she'd dived towards the Quaffle, with only the ground to break her fall, and twenty feet of air between her and a fatal injury. Although, I swear she is perpetually trying to give me a heart attack, I couldn't help laughing.

"Alex! Rose! Get over here!" James shouted. To my surprise, he sounded annoyed.

"Yes, captain." Alex mocked, just as surprised as I was.

"Thank you." He didn't sound thankful. "As you all know, I am Quidditch captain for this year and Gryffindor has not won the cup for two consecutive years, losing to Slytherin of all houses. This is our last chance- my last chance- to win the Quidditch cup once more. I'll be leaving at the end of this year. I'll never get another shot at it." I'd almost feel sorry for James if I didn't know how pathetic he was being. "I'm going to be working you even harder than before. Don't expect any sympathy. Expect regular practices every week and continuous exercise. We need to win this year or die trying." His speech was beyond extreme, especially for our first practice of the year.

"James, you've got to be joking!" I said, half smiling in incredulity, hoping he was joking.

"Rose, you're the last person I'd expect to protest." He said patronisingly as if I had disappointed him in some way.

"James-"

"Do you want to win the House cup or not?" He raised his eyebrows expectantly.

I barely had a chance to utter one word before he cut me off again. "Well then, I suggest we start practice."

We all watched him, wide-eyed, stroll back onto the pitch and mount his broom.

"He'll get over it." Alex said from behind me, walking towards James.

I wasn't so enthusiastic in my approach so I trailed after her. "Hopefully. Maybe it's a tactic he's trying out." I said, wishing no one else had heard my self-assuring tone.

"Exactly. He'll be as friendly as ever in a few weeks." The fact that Alex wasn't the least bit scared like everyone else astonished me. It was either that or she had been taking acting classes over the summer, which seemed very unlikely. As much as I hated to say it, she could never hold down one thing for that long.

Practice resulted in my having several cuts, bruises and a pair of aching shoulders. The team was groaning audibly from all over the changing rooms. The boys' especially might I add. I usually wouldn't take a shower after playing but this time was different- I was sweating like a pig. I had no idea that James could be this intense.

Stuffing my Quidditch robes into my bag, an unexpected wave of dizziness hit me. I set my hand on the wall to steady myself, as more and more breathlessness came. I stayed in that position telling myself to breathe and relax. My head bent down, I fixed my gaze on my feet in order to focus on something plausible and unmoving.

Slowly, my breaths came to settle and resided into a normal pattern once more. I brought my head up and looked around. Everyone was getting on with their own doings and focussed on their own aching bodies. No one had noticed. I wasn't sure whether to be pleased about this or slightly worried that my body was having some weird breakdown and no one would believe me if they hadn't seen it.

I tried carrying on ordinarily- picking up my bag, I stumbled outside and made my way back to the castle, hoping that Alex wouldn't notice if I didn't wait for her. Now that the team had gone through first practice, we left our brooms down in the changing rooms to make the journeys to and from the castle a little easier. In this case, not having extra weight made it significantly easier since practice was so hard-core.

What made me light-headed was likely to be because of this. I wasn't accustomed to so much exercise in this short amount of time. However, if I wanted to carry on with Quidditch after Hogwarts, it was crucial that I got fitter. Maybe James' enthusiasm would help me out in the long run after all.

* * *

The next day, I hopped down the stairs, grimacing from the aches and pains caused by yesterday's Quidditch practice, from the dorms and was met at the bottom by a small huddle of people. Alex was disjointed from the group and coughed meaningfully when she saw me. This disrupted Al, Hugo and James from the huddle, of which the latter was holding some kind of black ball of fur with two orbs of green light glinting from one end. A tail extended from the opposite side. It tickled and poked at James' face making him splutter. At this point I realised it was indeed a black cat with bright green eyes. I rushed over to pet it.

"James," It started to purr and nuzzle my hand. "I had no idea you had a cat." For a second I felt much too informal to be talking to my team's captain in this way but he soon smiled and I realised he was back to normal for now.

"I don't." He smiled. I was confused by his implicative manner. They must have noticed how baffled I looked.

"Happy Birthday, Rose." Al said. James sort of thrust the cat into my arms as if he couldn't wait to get rid of it. I stumbled for a second, forgetting that I was now handling a cat.

"He's so cute." I said meanwhile covering the fur ball with kisses and cuddles. I was overcome with cute aggression. "It is a 'he', right?"

Hugo chuckled. "Yes. His name's Jinx."

"How convenient." I laughed. "Thank you so much! This is the best birthday present ever." Somehow I managed to hug them all without squashing Jinx.

I went back to the dorms to get my books for the day of lessons to come. School on my birthday, I know. It wasn't that bad though, at least I was free of potions for the next week.

Grabbing my Herbology book from my trunk, the ring that I thought had been buried safely at the bottom flicked out into the middle of the room. Luckily, there was no one here to question why I still had it. It chinked to the floor and was spun in circles from the momentum. Jinx shrank back form it and arched his back, his black fur visibly standing up on end, and hissed as loud as the Hogwarts Express' train horn. I gasped and dived at the ring then submerged it back in my trunk. His hisses died down and relief flowed through me.

A second later, Alex emerged at the door looking concerned. "You coming?"

I hesitated. "Y-yes. Yes!" I was still mystified by the incident with Jinx. What could it mean?

As the day went by, I couldn't stop pondering about that bloody ring. Although, I got away with being zoned out today, as it was my birthday, I received a few concerned glances. I tried continuing as normal and when people asked I shook it off and said it was nothing.

But what if the ring _was_ dangerous? Should I get rid of it? The only reason I had kept it was because I felt _connected_ to it. But how does that make any sense?

* * *

_Buildings crashed down and fires roared as I tried to escape the chaos that surrounded me. It seemed like there was no way out. No gap in the battlefield that I could dive through to find safety. The black figures, now I realised to be deatheaters, burnt down houses and tortured the living beings that emerged from the debris. I was a bystander. I was nobody, just observing and helpless in the background. No matter how loud I cried or how hard I hit, no one could hear or feel me._

I woke up with a muted scream. My throat was dry and hoarse, causing me to cough and splutter. I saw the soft red curtains surrounding me and realised it was a nightmare. I relaxed into my pillow. My harsh breathing soon subsided along with the panic and fear. I gazed around the black dorm room hoping no one heard me in this time of weakness. There was no shuffling or movement in the darkness so I decided I was safe.

I needed water. The only way to the kitchens was through the castle, all the way past the Great Hall on the Ground floor. It was worth the trek, plus now I couldn't possibly sleep another wink. I carefully pushed back the covers and padded across the room, dodging objects that I hadn't realised could be so disruptive in my path when it was light. I thought it a good idea to light up my way once I had exited the dorms. I whispered "Lumos" and, seeing my wand glisten, set off about the castle in search of the kitchens.

My footsteps echoed eerily behind me as I wandered through the dark castle. The moonlight scattered across the corridor and reflected off the motionless armoury. As I walked, a hum of voices made me alert and curious all of a sudden.

I quickly dimmed my wand light as I edged past the last of the armoured statues and pushed my back against the stonewall at the end of the hall. Pressing around the sharp corner, I realised there were two cloaked figures in the hallway. Their voices were heated and intense as if they were discussing something dreadfully meaningful and significant to them. Facing each other, they were talking in hushed whispers; their heads were dipped between them.

"…Not going to believe it, she's too clever." A female voice hissed, slicing the night air.

"What makes you so sure? The girl knows how trustworthy she is, her parents will have said so." This voice sounded bitter and snake-like with a low buzz that rattled my insides. His voice was older and somehow more threatening.

"Then she will think for herself. Independent witches are not so rare these days. _Remember that_." She spoke with dominance, but her whispers made it hard to decipher her tone.

"You don't _know_ the girl." He tried earning his authority back by whispering harshly.

"That is why we will send-" She was cut off. My wand dropped. The hollow sound echoed through the castle. I had become too comfortable with the idea of blending into the wall, my hand slipped and my balance was compromised. She whirled in my direction. Scanning the corridor, she slowly glided towards the corner I was standing just past. I decided it was time to go. I couldn't run, she would hear me and, by the looks of things, catch me too. My best option was to hide. Collecting my wand, I found myself in one of the alcoves, shielded by a body of amour.

Her footsteps crept down the hallway. The metal torso fogged up as my breathing came out in shaky torrents. Her cat-like eyes came to rest upon the armour. I tensed all over. Her spindly hand crawled up to her waist, where her wand was attached to her cloak. Gleaming in the moonlight, her eyes were menacing and cunning in ways I recognised to be of Slytherin characteristics. My palms sweated and heart raced like a high-speed train. I didn't know who these people were but I also wasn't sure if I wanted them to find me eavesdropping on them either. The woman's hand grasped her wand as she set her gaze on the shadows behind the armour.

"Astoria!" Whispered the older man from behind her. She was broken from her revelry and reeled to face him.

"What?!" She roughly whispered back, sounding extremely annoyed and disrupted. The man made a commanding gesture and strode away in the opposite direction. She chased him down the hall into the shadows. Only when they were completely out of sight and earshot did I exhale in absolute relief. I shrunk to the floor and stayed there for a few minutes, trying to make sense of what had just occurred.

For one thing, how did these people get into the castle? Since they definitely weren't teachers or students, how would they have been granted access? What if there were more of them lingering amongst the shadows of Hogwarts?

What if what Hugo said was true?

On my hesitant and rugged journey back to my dorm room, every sound and every glint of light set me off on a hysterical mentality again. The innocent glass of water forgotten, I had to get back to the refuge of my dormitory once more.

I set my wand back alight but even as I walked, it was like the shadows were following me and closing in, ready to engulf me in an instant. I couldn't stop glancing over my shoulder and poking my head around each corner first, checking to see if it was clear before I staggered down an empty corridor.

Journeying through the castle, I found that this particular hallway was not as empty as the others; a figure roamed the way just ahead of me, lonely and wavering in the splashes of moonlight. And then it vanished. I spun around and lit up the spaces around me with my wand. Seeing nothing, I kept moving and decided I'd rather not wait around to see who, or what, it was.

"Merlin!" I exclaimed as I crashed into a body. My breathing hitched up for the hundredth time that night.

"Are you scared of the dark, Weasley?" Scorpius Malfoy sounded incredibly amused. His hair flashed in a patch of light.

"No. No, I am _not_ scared of the dark." I said a little bit too bitterly; I was finding it hard to calm myself down. However, he only looked surprised, not so much offended.

"Anyway," I started less harshly this time. "What are you doing up?" I longed to avert the subject away from myself; I wanted to focus on something other than the fact that I had just been scared lifeless.

"Since when are you a prefect?" He retorted. Although, I noticed how he avoided the question.

"Since when did you ask so many questions?" I fired back but soon realised how contradicting that was. My excuse was that I was tired and deflated, in dire need of some rest after the unsettling night I'd had. Suddenly, I felt light headed and disoriented.

Stepping forward in dizziness, I bumped into Malfoy and felt him grasp my shoulders uncertainly. I thought he asked if I was okay but I couldn't hear a thing over the sound of my heavily beating heart.

After a few seconds of weakness, my breathing eventually slowed and the faintness disappeared from my head. I stepped back and composed myself. How embarrassing to have a trivial phase of light-headedness in front Malfoy. He'd hold it against me for weeks.

"I'm fine." I said, shaking my head as if to get rid of the dizziness once and for all.

"Maybe you should go back to your dorm." His patronising quality and superior composure returned.

"You didn't answer my question." I said stubbornly.

"If I were you, I wouldn't try to understand things that I couldn't handle." I identified his implicative tone and immediately realised that he was referring to those few moments before. He probably thought I was too fragile to get a grip on whatever gory information he was hiding.

Before I could reply, he had already walked right past me while I had been in my state of incredulity. His figure faded away in the darkness, every so often showing up in my vision again as he passed a window lit up by the moon. I knew my anger was wasted on him and I shouldn't get so tense about our trivial arguments but somehow he really knew how to push my buttons.

Personally, I blame Albus.

* * *

**Thanks a bunch! x**


	4. Acquaintances

**Hello! I thought I'd mix it up this chapter and have two things going on at once, hope you like! xx**

**Key for this chapter: ****_Italics = _****Flashback**

* * *

At some point in your life, have you ever felt like you could just fall sleep anywhere? I mean _anywhere_, like a potions classroom when your professor is trying to tell you how to pass your end of year exams? For me, this wooden desk was probably the most comfortable thing I have ever touched. If you're wondering why I'm so tired, it's because I didn't have a wink of sleep last night. Parties do that to you, especially if you've had zero experience with them before hand.

I heard, as well as felt, the loud thud of heavy books on the table, breaking me from my nap. I bolted upright and darted my eyes around the room only to be met by Slughorn's blazing eyes directly in front of me.

"Disturbing your nap time, am I, Miss Weasley?" He boomed.

Scorching heat flushed throughout my body. How could I have fallen asleep in class? My mother would be so disappointed if she found out. A hum of laughter filled the room as Slughorn hauled the books to his desk, leaving me wishing the floor would open up and swallow me whole.

I tried concentrating for the remainder of the lesson, I really did, but my eyes were just too stubborn to stay open.

* * *

_The moment I stepped into the Slytherin common room, I had never felt so rebellious. Despite the fact that one of my best friends was home to this house, I still couldn't shake the feeling that I was breaking some kind of rule by just being here. As I scanned through the crowd, I noticed Gryffindors, like myself, a few Ravenclaws and even the odd Hufflepuff amongst the crowd of Slytherins. The party was already in full swing and people were dancing, drinking and shouting above the booming music. I wondered how it couldn't be heard by the rest of the castle but soon realised there was such a thing as a Silencing charm. The walls were covered in plastic bats, some charmed to fly around the room, and fiery orange pumpkins that perfectly set the mood of Halloween. There were various costumes and outfits that people wore, some were adventurous and quirky, whereas others were highly ambiguous and left little to the imagination. I had decided on wearing a simple black dress, and now that I had seen some of the other girls' attires, made me realise how ridiculous I was being about worrying whether my dress was too short. I also managed to tame my hair into curls. I didn't think anyone would enjoy being attacked by fuzz in the middle of the dance floor._

_Some said that celebrating Halloween at Hogwarts was completely ironic and stereotypical but I always thought it was funny, like Hogwarts had its own little inside joke._

_It was a completely different atmosphere from when I was in a classroom with Slytherins. They were entirely dissimilar people to when they were learning in a classroom. Right now, I could almost smell the joy radiating off them, like adolescence and alcohol._

_Of course, Alex wanted to dance and 'mingle', as she put it, as soon as we heard the music. She tugged me behind her into the middle of the room and began dancing to the beat of the song. I had never thought myself to be an awful dancer, just not so much a _good_ dancer. I could 'party' dance like I was now, but make me ballroom dance and you may as well say goodbye to your toes._

_I spotted a cluster of Slytherins near the makeshift dance floor, Malfoy amongst them sipping from a silver flask. It glinted in the sparks of light as he raised it to his mouth and ignited my curiosity. The group were in amiable conversation and bellowing laughs erupted from their direction every so often that could be heard above the blares of sounds that were called music._

_"__I'm going to go and mingle." I shouted to Alex. She would be so proud that I was voluntarily going off on my own to talk to other guys._

_"__Okay, me too!" From what I heard, she sounded pleased as I watched her hair bounce around the dance floor in search of someone to get her a drink._

_I pushed my way through the crowd, tripping up a few times in the process but eventually got to the other side of the common room. A snake-covered drape hung to the right of a window, which shockingly made the place look all the more warm and comfortable just like the Gryffindor common room, despite the fact that it displayed my rivalled house's colours. Under the drape stood the huddle, which I bravely approached. It seemed I had interrupted whatever conversation they were having._

_"__Hey, what's that?" I motioned towards Malfoy's flask. He was dressed casually in a black shirt and jeans that contrasted wildly with his bright hair that could easily be spotted, even in the dark. He clearly hadn't bothered to dress up._

_"__I doubt you could stomach this, Weasley." He wasn't fazed by my disruption, as smugness was highly apparent in his voice._

_He was about to take a swig when I boldly snatched the flask from his hand and brought it to my lips, glaring him in the eye the entire time. There was a buzz of amusement from the few people surrounding us. Suddenly, a powerful and potent taste struck my taste buds, making me splutter and break eye contact. Taking the flask away from my mouth, I hit my chest and made a very unattractive face to imitate just how grotesque that drink tasted. The group of Slytherins laughed and some even clapped me on the back._

_"__Are you trying to get my cousin drunk, Malfoy?" Albus interjected jokily. By this point, I had thrown the flask back at Malfoy in disgust._

_"__She insisted." He said defensively, looking surprisingly impressed by my flamboyancy._

_Albus turned to me. "Maybe you should start with the weak stuff." He handed me a butterbeer._

_Even as I took the plastic cup, I still felt as if I needed to prove myself. "I can handle it." Shrugging as if it was nothing, I thought; I really couldn't, it was a mystery how these boys could even keep it down._

_"__Sure you can." Malfoy's voice dripped with sarcasm._

* * *

Bouncing awake for the second time, it seemed that no one had noticed my absence. Glancing across at Malfoy, he was already looking at me with an unimpressed expression on his face, and then shaking his head, he focussed back on his work. The classroom was now quiet as students were skipping through textbooks, scribbling down answers and actually doing some work.

"How are you awake?" I whispered to Malfoy incredulously and rubbed my eyes to emphasise my point.

He shrugged, not taking his eyes away from his parchment. "I'm used to it."

"I'm sure you are with that bloody flask of yours." Just thinking about it gave me a headache but it also made me wonder.

Then something struck me. "Where did you get that booze from anyway?" I realised butterbeer could be collected from the kitchens but what I drank from that flask was clearly some kind of spirit.

"Your cousin." He answered freely. He seemed to be distracted by his work.

"Albus? Where would _he_ have gotten it from?" I demanded.

"Slughorn's looking." He blatantly avoided my question. His expression was tight and anxious.

"I don't care. Where did-" I was cut off. _Again_.

"Miss Weasley!" Slughorn shouted from his desk. I immediately grabbed my quill and pretended to write something down. I was determined to figure out where Al got that drink. Hogsmeade was the closest place that sold alcohol but how would he have gotten all the way there without being noticed? A simple solution would be to presume that he had just taken it from home but Al wouldn't steal form his parents. Even so, it felt like there was more to it than that. It felt like Malfoy was hiding something.

* * *

_Glancing about the crowded room, I noticed a particular Halloween costume that reminded me of a few nights ago. A boy was wearing a sheer black cloak with a hood covering his face exactly like the ones the mysterious couple were wearing nights before. Of course, the events that occurred were all a dream, figments of my imagination and since Scorpius, who I had bumped into on that same night, had never brought the subject up subsequently; I had more reason to presume nothing._

_"__Hey. Rose, right?" It was a guy from the 'Slytherin huddle' as I now liked to call it. "Do you want to dance?"_

_I was taken aback for a second and wondered if he was talking to me. "Sure." I said eventually. I was surprised that I, of all people, was being asked to dance at a party. My heart hammered with anticipation and the boy led me to the dance floor where I swayed to the music once more._

_"__You're Will, right?" I tried yelling above the music. He had to lean in close to hear what I was saying._

_"__Yeah," His dark hair glinted in the strobe and emerald eyes reminded me of just how Slytherin he was. "You look really great tonight by the way."_

_"__Thanks." I laughed but really my insides were buzzing. I sipped from the cup in my hand, trying to keep it steady from my moving body, and decided I was a lightweight._

_The Slytherin huddle still hadn't moved from their position in the room. I suspected it was to do with their overflow of dignity, or, to put it simpler, were too stuck up their own arses. Malfoy especially._

_For the rest of the night, I danced. I couldn't remember anything else so that's what I presumed. It was my first party and the experience was incredible. I had always thought that party animals were just reckless teenagers who were wasting their lives away but now I realised they did it for sport, for fun, just like I did with Quidditch._

* * *

By now, it was too late to even attempt to start working since I had missed the majority of Slughorn's presentation. Sitting back and glancing around the classroom in boredom, I came across Will, sitting a few seats in front of my desk, smiling back at me. I grinned in response and made a small gesture with my hand. I was surprised that he even remembered last night, let alone was still acting interested in me.

"So, you and Will looked like you enjoyed yourselves the other night." A snide voice from my right interrupted my thoughts. I noticed how he addressed Will by his first name, like he did with Albus. They must have known each other well, unlike how he knew me.

"I don't see what that has to do with you." His questioning was beginning to irritate me.

"I don't see why anyone would want to get involved with a guy like him."

"Oh. So, now you're giving me relationship advice?" I questioned.

He didn't have time to reply. "Okay, class. Your homework is to write an essay on Everlasting Elixirs. Good luck." Slughorn sounded very cryptic when he said this, as if he knew how haunting the homework was going to be and gave us it purposely, which was very likely to be the case.

Stumbling out the classroom along with everybody else, I realised that if I wanted to pass potions, I really needed to get a grip. That party really pushed me off course, the mystifying ring, freaky nightmares and queries from Hugo were distracting me and I couldn't let anything get in the way of my education. Who knows, maybe once I calm the hell down I'll stop thinking about the ring, and the nightmares will cease. Of course, this meant having a thirty second melt down.

"Great. Now I'm never going to pass potions and my mum is going to be beyond pissed off with me and I'll never find a decent job if I don't have enough NEWTS." I then started muttering to myself like a crazy person. "I'll be lucky to get a P in my final exam and-" I was on the edge of hysterics and I could have gone on forever if Malfoy hadn't cut me off.

"Weasley! You missed one class, you'll catch up." He sounded like he really didn't want to be on the receiving end of my ventilation and he probably didn't deserve it either. He was just in the wrong place at the right time.

I turned on him. "See that's where you're wrong. Once I miss one class, I'll be in an endless cycle that never stops and all of a sudden I'll be behind in everything and I can't cope with stress like that. How am I supposed to catch up anyway? Everyone thinks I'm the next 'Hermione Granger'. I can't ask anyone for help. That would be social suicide. I can't-" All my words were rushed and jumbled together, I was surprised he could actually understand.

"Just take my notes." He interjected as if he would do anything to be rid of my wrath.

"What?" I was taken aback by his sudden interruption and had to think about what he was saying for a minute to fully comprehend.

"Take my notes." He repeated impatiently.

"No, I can't do that." I barely knew him and we weren't even that good of friends. Why would he offer anyway? Plus, if I did take them, I'd then owe him something and I most certainly did not want to be in debt to Malfoy in any way.

"I will not take no for an answer." He insisted. "You can copy them out tonight just make sure I have them back by tomorrow." He shoved the paper into my hands. It wasn't the most gentlemanly gesture but at least he was kind enough to give up his notes. I didn't look up from my hands at first but he was already marching down the hall to get to next period when I did. I was too late to say thank you or even say anything. I was just left staring, open mouthed, down the hall, getting in everyone's way.

I heard laughing approach me. "I can't believe you fell asleep in class." It was Alex, someone who most definitely would not let me live this down. "I mean, _you_. Rose, outstanding-grades-in-every-subject, Weasley. Ha!" She teased me relentlessly all the way to Hagrid's Hut, and stopped just in time for our Care of Magical Creatures lesson.

Throughout Hagrid's introduction, I kept pondering about Malfoy's notes or maybe it was just his rush to get away? Whatever it was, I couldn't stop thinking about it. As much as I despise to admit it, he was actually pretty nice to me today considering. What was with his weird warning about Will, though? I thought they were friends. Maybe it was a 'bro' thing? Malfoy just didn't want Will getting any female attention whatsoever, meaning it was nothing personal or anything to do with me.

Who knows what goes through a guy's mind?

* * *

**Thank you! Have an awesome day/night!**

**And don't get drunk.**

**Srsly.**

**xx**


	5. Hogsmeade

**Hey! I couldn't upload last week because I was on holiday deprived of wifi :( This chapter is quite a lot longer than the others though. Enjoy...**

* * *

I was perched on the common room's sofa stroking Jinx's neck affectionately, when Alex came skipping down the stairs. Today we would be going to Hogsmeade. It didn't matter how comfortable and inviting the common room appeared today, nothing could get in the way of spending the day in a place other than Hogwarts. I needed to stock up on quills and parchment, and maybe even pay my uncle George a visit at the joke shop.

This time of year was the phase of which students, like James and Albus, would buy more Puking Pastels and Instant Darkness Powderthan they could carry in order to 'store up for the winter' as they both phrased it. This meant numerous pranks and tricks were about to be the cause of surprise for some unfortunate souls. Although, when James and Al pranked, they almost always had a reason for doing it, so this time of year was also a time when I stayed well out of their ways. However, I had no doubt that I would be able to get my revenge if needed.

"Hey, Rose." Turning around, I saw that Alex wore a grey dress with thick black patterned tights. As she walked, she tugged her coat over her shoulders and up around her neck. "I'm just off to go and meet Damon. We can walk down together if you want." Nodding towards the portrait, she looked as happy as a little girl on Christmas Day and I had only just processed why.

"Wait," I said, confused. "I thought we were going to Hogsmeade _together_." Standing up, I set Jinx on the floor and he approached Alex, huddling around her legs fondly.

"Merlin, I forgot to tell you." She said sincerely. "Damon asked me to go with him at the party last week." I could tell she wasn't sure whether to be excited or upset while breaking the news to me.

"Oh. Right." Attempting to sound genuinely pleased and excited for her, I added a convincing smile for effect.

"I'm really sorry but this is my chance, you know." Her tone was almost pleading and her eyes were wide with enthusiasm. "I really like this guy." She said, sounding hesitant.

"Yeah, you should go with him." I said with slight reluctance. "I have to pick up some school stuff anyway." I never let my nonchalant guard down but inside I couldn't help feeling betrayed.

"Thank you so much!" Alex was ecstatic. "See you later. Bye, Jinx!" She quickly untangled the cat from her legs.

Before I could say goodbye, she was already bounding through the common room and out into the stairwell. I was left feeling deflated and let down. Only I couldn't let anyone know that, especially Alex. She deserved to have a good time and if that meant missing a few hours with me then so be it. Jinx looked as putout as a feline could possibly look and he made an objectionable meow to prove it.

I glanced out the window and the sky was of grey snow clouds, meaning that even more powder was yet to join the stuff that lay on the ground already.

So, I set off by myself, leaving Jinx to his own devices like he always was, and strolled through the castle to the main entrance, past the empty potions classroom and vacant Great Hall. Students and teachers were already making their way down to Hogsmeade and I followed their footprints in the snow. The smell of burning wood filled my nose as I continued down the path.

People were throwing snowballs and building snowmen, simply enjoying the season and the anticipation of Christmas on the horizon. I passed my cousin Fred who was standing proudly over a pile of snow. A dark spot peaked out the side and I realised James was fighting his way out of the mound. I giggled to myself as Fred waved to me, and I carried on walking.

Seeing that Honeydukes was overcrowded and thinking I'd have time to get quills later, I decided to get a butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks. I trudged through the heavy snow and pushed open the wooden entrance. Warmth from blazing fires smarmed me and gave my skin goose bumps from the change in extremes of temperature. The same smell of burning wood filled my nostrils and the tang of butterbeer nipped at my taste buds. Many people crammed against each other around small tables, each reaching for their drink at regular intervals to keep the chill away as white snow piled up on the window ledges, reminding me that Christmas was on the way. Tugging my gloves off, I scanned the pub for any familiar faces. I looked from hesitant third years to over-confident seventh years and eventually found Al, sitting alone. Skirting around a few people, I managed to pull up a chair.

I plonked down next to him. "Hey, Al. Why so lonely?" I yanked off my beanie and, along with my gloves, placed them on the table and leant back in exhaustion. Walking through snow was difficult.

"Oh, I'm here with Scorpius." He smiled, pleased to see me. "He went to get drinks." He used his thumb to gesture towards the bar.

My face visibly fell and I made sure of it. "Of course he is." It seemed like I had spent an unnecessarily large amount of time with Malfoy these past few weeks.

"You really remind me of him sometimes." He said fondly. His nose was flushed with red from the outdoor chill, dispersing over his cheeks as he grinned.

"What?" I said in repugnant disbelief. I dread to think I was anything like him.

"Yeah." He laughed, as he loved to poke fun at me. This was one of the things that irritated me most, and he knew it. "You're both unbelievably stubborn."

Trying not to sound stubborn, I said, "I am _not_ stubborn."

He tilted his head and gave me a look.

"It's endearing." To me, being stubborn wasn't negative in any way. It's a trait that I have always liked in myself.

"Well, you must think of Scorpius as very endearing then." Al suggested, passing me a side-glance.

Realising my mistake, I took a breath to reply but was cut short by an approaching figure.

"Who's endearing?" Malfoy had returned with two glasses of butterbeer, glowing orange with froth overflowing from their tops.

"No one." I said a bit too defensively.

"Weasley," He turned to me and said with surprise. "You have my notes?" Setting the glasses on the table, he rested back down in his seat opposite mine and looked up at me expectantly. His expression was devoid of any arrogance, which caught me off guard. His hair looked just like the snow outside and could have been the epitome of winter.

I realised I had forgotten to even copy his notes out the few nights before as I had been so exhausted with all the work from starting school again. "No," I reminded myself to be civil since he did me a favour _and_ Al was sitting right next to me. "But I can get them to you by tomorrow."

"Sure." He wasn't too vexed but he sounded firm, covering it up with a sip from his glass.

"You borrowed his notes?" Al asked in a very suggestive manner. He raised his eyebrows and looked me right in the eye. The hum of chatter made me realise how many people were in the room, and how many could possibly be able to hear us. I reminded myself that it was an innocent gesture and that there was absolutely nothing to be ashamed of.

"Yes," I said tightly as I still hated to admit it. "And don't pretend like you didn't notice me asleep for the majority of potions, which, may I remind you, was _entirely _your fault." He was my cousin; I didn't have to be civil to him.

"And why's that?" Relaxing into his chair, he looked complacent, unashamed by what he had done.

"The party." I implied.

"What would I have to do with that?" Flexing his hands outwards, he feigned confusion.

"You invited me." I huffed; thinking that I really shouldn't bother to spell things out for him next time because at this point, it was only for Malfoy's benefit.

He laughed and reached for his butterbeer. "Like you wouldn't have found some other way to get in."

"Please," I scoffed. "You practically begged me to go." I recalled him seeking me out in my own common room, requesting me to come to the party.

"Only to get some of your hot friend." He waggled his eyebrows. The fact that he even joked about involving himself in an intimate relationship made me nauseous, especially when it was with my best friend. Al was experienced in that front, of which somehow it only resulted in him generating a very dirty sense of humour. However, he wasn't nearly as experienced as his brother, or at least as James pretended to be.

"And how did that work out for you?" I teased.

He looked up at me in annoyance and shook his head. "Whatever." If I didn't know him, I'd say he was genuinely disappointed that he didn't manage to score any with her. "Where is Alex anyway?" He said, trying to divert the subject.

"She's off with some guy from the party." I said offhandedly.

"She ditched you?" He asked in shock.

"She didn't ditch me." I was willing to defend Alex in any way possible, as she wasn't here to do it herself, even if I did feel a little betrayed.

Al looked unconvinced. "You go to _every_ Hogsmeade trip together. She ditched you." He said simply as if he was an expert of relationships.

I rolled my eyes and pushed out my chair, trying to act like I didn't care. "I'm going to go get a butterbeer." Grabbing my gloves and beanie and tucking them into my pockets, I rose from my seat and dodged my way through the busy room. It was expected that most Hogwarts students came here on this day, as it was one of the only restaurants in Hogsmeade and personally, I thought it was the best. The owners didn't complain, though, I suspect they made good business out of Hogsmeade trips.

Waiting for my butterbeer, I had taken to a very uncomfortable stall and gazed around the pub and saw my brother, Hugo. He was sitting amongst friends, in amiable conversation. I doubted he knew it but a brunette girl was watching him carefully from the other side of the group. He was always complaining that he never had attention from the opposite sex; he just didn't look hard enough. I smiled to myself and swore that I would tell dad that the 'talk' was due and to make it long and painful. Seeing him forced me to remember his warning about the newfound threat that the Ministry was facing and I pondered about how serious it was. However dismissive I was about it at the time, I couldn't help worrying about mum and dad at the ministry and, ultimately, the Wizarding World as a whole, which could be at great risk.

"What are you looking at?" Malfoy poked his head in my line of vision and rudely interrupted my thoughts.

"Nothing." I said, ripping my eyes away from Hugo. "Where's Al?" I turned towards our previously occupied table.

"Detention." He said simply.

I wasn't surprised. Somehow Albus always managed to land himself a detention and now, I'm sad to say, it had extended into his own time out of school.

My butterbeer arrived and, as it was set down in front of me, I paid the bartender. I took excessive gulps from the glass in order to be rid of it quickly so that I wouldn't be in this awkward situation any longer than necessary. Malfoy had brought his over from the other table and was clutching the handle. Silence washed over us and, looking around, I tried focussing my attention on the people around me.

"You ready for the first Quidditch match of the season?" He asked. I turned to face him; surprised he was the least bit interested in me.

I hesitated for a few seconds, as I wasn't sure how to respond to this unexpected enquiry. "We are going to _destroy_ you." Why not make this fun?

"Oh, yeah." He sounded unconvinced. "Al tells me James has been working you pretty hard." He now occupied the stall next to me and sipped his drink.

"Like we need it. We'd beat you just fine without all the excessive training." I may have sounded boastful but it was true.

"I wouldn't be too overconfident. Just makes losing even harder." He took a sip from his glass.

"And by saying that, it makes you _not_ overconfident?" I challenged.

He stared at me for a second. "You got me there." He said, raising his hands in defeat.

I shook my head. "But seriously, James is so power-hungry he even made one of our players cry." I didn't know why I was being so open with him but as we spoke so offhandedly, I realised I was enjoying myself.

"Seriously?" He spoke with amused disbelief. Of course he would be interested in the misery of his rivalled team.

"Yeah. Never thought I'd see the day when _he_ broke down in tears." I really shouldn't have been making fun of my team, it was unprofessional, but it felt good to laugh.

"_He?_ Who was it?" Malfoy pressed.

"For the pride and dignity of our team, I refuse to tell you." I dismissed.

"Was it Fred?" He guessed.

"Weasley blood," I was offended he would even think someone in my family would be so weak. "I don't think so."

"No way. It wasn't Rednall, was it?"

I pursed my lips and made a face that I thought was unrevealing.

"It was!" He shouted. I broke out in giggles at his look of astonishment but was surprised that the whole pub didn't turn around and look at us. As our laughter died down, silence settled between us once more.

I downed the rest of my butterbeer and said, "I need to go and get some quills…" I hesitated. "But you're welcome to come along." I offered, as we seemed to be getting on pretty well.

He shrugged. "Sure." He did the same with his glass and placed it down on the counter with a thud. Shoving his hands into his black, what looked like, authentic leather jacket, we started walking.

We stopped off at Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop, where I bought five new quills and a pot of ink, all the while in friendly conversation. Honeydukes had finally died down slightly and we managed to buy two packets of sweets each. The snow had filtered off by the afternoon and I found that darkness was coming a lot quicker than I expected. After a few hours we discovered the inevitable subject of family.

"Well, my parents-" I started.

"Oh, I know your parents." He interrupted. "The famous Ron and Hermione Weasley." He gestured his hands as if they were the stars of an epic film.

"Granger." I corrected.

He turned to me, confused. Many people presumed that my mother took her husband's name; however, she always told me she was too headstrong for that and her last name did not define her.

"My mother kept her maiden name." I explained. He nodded in understanding.

"What about yours? What are their names?" I asked, realising that I didn't actually know, as Al never talked about them either.

"Draco and Astoria Malfoy." He answered. I stopped in my tracks. The moment the words came out of his mouth, they triggered something deep tucked away in my memory. _Astoria. _The name was familiar.

"Are you okay?" He said puzzled from up ahead.

"Yeah, fine." I tried to say passively and continued walking beside him. "I just thought I heard that name somewhere before."

We began walking again. "You've probably heard of both of them. My mum was all over the Profit a few years ago. Charity work." Yeah, that was probably where I read it. "My dad also works at the Ministry."

"Mine too." I dismissed the thought of ever hearing their names anywhere else. An idea struck me. "Maybe they've met."

He considered this and laughed. "Hey, they probably even went to Hogwarts together."

Smiling, I said, "Maybe they were friends."

He dismissed the idea abrasively. "Yeah, right. A deatheater and the heroes of the Wizarding World, friends." He laughed as if it was the most obscure idea he had ever heard. I felt that his relationship with his father was perhaps delicate but I didn't press the subject. I didn't know him that well and I desperately didn't want to intrude. However, I couldn't help but notice how tense he was when speaking about his parents.

"Do you have any other family?" I wondered.

"I have my sister, Carina."

"Right. She's in Hugo's year. And Beater for Slytherin." I remembered.

"Yeah, she can be violent but, then again, Beaters always are." He joked. I thought of Violet and Sam from our team and agreed wholly.

Just then, a tall and plump figure staggered towards us. I suspected his stick was designed to assist him with walking but with all the snow it didn't look as if it made any difference.

"Mr Malfoy, Miss Weasley." Slughorn greeted us with a puff of cold air. I went slightly red-faced, remembering the last lesson we had together.

"Sir." Malfoy replied, encouraging him to go on.

He nodded back. "As you may know, you two are amongst the most talented potions students I have this year. And as you may also know, I organise a very special Christmas party every year and I would like you two to attend." He sounded rehearsed and robotic as if he'd said this many times to many different people.

"Further details will be delivered to you by owl." He waved back to us offhandedly and jerked off into the coldness where heavy snow blurred him from view.

"Did we just join the Slug Club?" Malfoy wondered as we both stared out into the distance, watching the haggard old man attempt to half-slide and half-walk down the hill.

"I think so." I said in bewilderment. We stood there in astonishment.

Eventually, we made it back to the castle's entrance as night was forming. The realisation that I had spent a whole day with Malfoy without getting pissed off was astounding. However, I felt as if I had gotten a glimpse of why Al was such good friends with him and finally appreciated it. He actually wasn't an awful person and I scolded myself for not giving him a chance sooner. It just goes to show what you can discover if you have the time and frame of mind. I suddenly felt myself disappointed that we had to part ways to our separate common rooms on opposite sides of the castle but I knew we had Potions class this week, so I'd see him then. I think seeing him outside of the classroom is what did it. He was a completely different person when he wasn't distracted by his work. I hoped I was too.

After travelling as far as we could without having to backtrack to our common rooms, I said, "I guess, I'll see you in potions." I gestured in goodbye and began to turn towards the stairwell.

"Wait." Malfoy called.

I whirled around, half expecting him to say something important by the sound of his voice. Other students buzzed passed, dragging in melted snow from outside.

He seemed to consider saying something but thought better, his mouth closed and opened again like a fish catching air. "Remember my notes." He finally said and sauntered away.

_Right_.

* * *

**So, I thought I'd give Scorpius a sister. What do you think? A lot is already planned out for her. She's another OC so it'll be fun to experiment.**

**Why do think Scorpius seems distant from his parents? Did Al really have a detention? Is Rose and Scorpius' relationship about to take an interesting turn?**

**Thanks for reading! xx**


End file.
